1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to roofing safety devices, and more particularly to roofing safety devices utilizing a barricade.
2) Description of the Related Art
Roofing safety devices are well known in the art of roofing. Patents that have issued concerning roofing safety devices include U.S. Pat. No. 822,658 to Emberson for Scaffolding and U.S. Pat. No. 1,152,685 to Winn et al. for Roof Scaffold Bracket. The Emberson patent includes disclosure of a roofing safety device that comprises two parallel angled members extending downward from the ridge of the roof. An elongated brace is connected between the angled members. The area between the angled members and above the elongated brace provides an area where a roofer can work safely. Winn et al. includes disclosure of a triangular cage secured by a hook extending over the ridge of the roof. The hook is attached to a shingle on the opposite side of the cage. The hook is connected to the cage by a chain extending over the ridge of the roof. A roofer can safely work within the confines of the cage.
Examining these devices however reveals significant shortcomings. One shortcoming is that a worker must ascend to the ridge of the roof to install the device and thus is exposed to the risk of falling from the roof during installation. Furthermore, new Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) regulations effective as of Feb. 6, 1995, require that for persons working on steep sloped roofs, either a safety net be provided below the roof, a safety line be attached to a personal harness worn by the worker, or a guardrail be extended along the lower eaves of the roof. By the regulations, a steep sloped roof is defined as those having a four inch on twelve inch pitch or greater. If a guardrail is utilized, then the guardrail must have a height of at least thirty-nine (39) inches and be strong enough to withstand a two hundred pound force exerted anywhere along its length.
An additional regulation requires the provision of a toe rail located adjacent to the roof's surface and positioned below the area to be roofed. The toe rail serves as a barrier or catch mechanism for loose items that may otherwise slide down and off of the roof potentially harming persons below.
In light of these new regulations, some presently available designs do not meet the OSHA requirements for steep sloped roofs. Other designs that could possibly meet the regulations would require that the device be installed at the ridge of the roof and extend from the ridge to the eaves of the roof. Installing these designs would be a tedious and cumbersome process.
In summary, the previously described roof safety devices which erect barricades around roof workers to protect them from falls either do not meet current OSHA regulations or are unduly cumbersome because of installation requirements.